| |
Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Tuesday, July 27, 2004 – St. Lucia’s rich heritage may be placed in
jeopardy, if the younger generation does not engender pride for things St.
Lucian.
The observation was made by National Archivist, Margot Thomas. She said that
younger persons might be more inclined to appreciate the heritage of European
and other first world countries, while they denigrate their own St. Lucian
heritage.
Mrs. Thomas who was at the time addressing the opening of the 16th Annual
General Meeting of the Museums Association of the Caribbean now underway in
Saint Lucia, believes that the youth need to be educated in this respect, with
emphasis placed on national pride.
Says she: “It is clear to me that, much more needs to be done to
instil pride in our young people for their heritage,
and to educate them on the whole concept of heritage. Apparently, we have been
taking much for granted. We cannot ignore or denigrate our past and be whole or
complete citizens, nor can we convey to the future generations a sense of pride
for who we are as a people and the uniqueness of our place in the world.”
Mrs. Thomas is of the view that the onus to promote, preserve, protect and
engender pride in local heritage should not be the endeavour of any one
particular group. She emphasised that each citizen should demonstrate pride in
St. Lucia’s historic documents, artifacts and sites.
The 16th Annual General Meeting of the Museums Association of the Caribbean will
conclude here on July 31, 2004.
|
